Buried deep in the 33 pounds of 2-inch fulled strips of wool (see my earlier post) was a Rigby Cloth Stripping Machine, Model B. I had never seen or even heard of this gizmo before, but friends of mine had (and were both amazed at and not a little jealous of the find). So, of course, I poked around the internet to see what I could learn about the Rigby.

The Rigby Cloth Stripping machines are clamp-on machines that cut strips used for braiding, hooking, and weaving. It cuts a single strip from 5/8″ to 2″ wide. The user controls the width by adjusting the cloth guide (the red lever in the bottom right hand of the above left picture).

Built in Bridgton, Maine, the Rigby Cutting Machines have long been beloved by rug braiders, puncher and hookers. You can find them sold on sites like Etsy with prices ranging depending on both the model and the condition. (It appears as though this Model B would sell somewhere between $100-200.)

Head

Finger

Among the rug making supplies carried by Halcyon Yarns is the Rigby Finger (#7 Finger for the 7/32″ cutter head for the Model H and #8 Finger for the 1/4″ cutter head) and extra heads for the Rigby Model C.

Currently my Rigby is visiting my Friend E. Friend E is an avid needlewoman (both needlework and sewing), hooks rugs and spins. Friend E was very interested in seeing how the Rigby works. She said it was easy to figure out and easy to use. After clamping it to a table, Friend E experimented with some pink fulled wool strips and sent me pictures.

As I said in last week’s post, I paid $20 a a thrift shop for 33 pounds of 2-inch fulled wool strips. What I didn’t share in that post is that the purchase also included the Rigby Cloth Stripping Machine. Most definitely a find!

21 Responses to Rigby Cloth Stripping Machine

I don’t yet hook, but my mom did (as well as braiding) and she had a huge stash of wool. I kept a goodly amount of her stash but after hunting high and low through the house, never found her tool to make the strips. THE very last day before the house contents auction, my sister and brother-in-law were fiddling with something sitting on the hall table. I heard the noise of the handle turning and rushed to see if it was mom’s wool-stripping tool…ta-da! It had been unearthed by the auctioneer team. I’ll never know where they found it, but it felt miraculous to me. So grateful to have it, and she had marked it with her name, even more special from my perspective. Was exciting to find your photo of friend E showing how to set it up. Someday I will be a hooker!

The Model B is the braiding model for cutting 2-inch strips for braiding. Other models are the H hooking model with interchangeable heads in different sizes for cutting hooking strips, the D double model with places for 2 interchangeable hooking cutter heads, and the C combined model which combines the braiding head and a spot for the interchangeable hooking heads. There! Now you know just about everything there is to know about Rigby cutter models.

it’s for rug hooking. the cutter should only used to cut 100% wool, the blade will be damaged if used for anything else. It is a very coveted item for rug hookers sells for about $200 but has been replaced by the more user friendly Townsend cutter over the past few years.